Absence of footpaths in Vijayawada make thoroughfares unsafe to walk on
The Hindu
The absence of footpaths on major roads in Vijayawada poses a danger to pedestrians, causing inconvenience and safety concerns.
Absence of a sidewalk or a footpath on most major thoroughfares in Vijayawada has made using them a nightmare for many people, especially the elderly and students.
The city has four main thoroughfares: Mahatma Gandhi Road (Bandar Road), Karl Marx Road (Eluru Road), Road Number 5 and BRTS Road. Of these, the MG Road, where tens of heavy vehicles like buses and lorries ply every 10 minutes, is the busiest. Moreover, it is part of the National Highway 65, also known as the Vijayawada-Hyderabad Expressway.
On the MG Road, footpaths have been laid till the Benz Circle, although not continuously. But, beyond the circle, one does not see any sidewalk or footpath.
As if the absence of footpaths is not dangerous enough, a few errant motorcyclists ride in the opposite direction in the space meant for pedestrians.
“Most roads in the city are too narrow to accommodate a footpath. On major roads, we have them, and our teams conduct regular checks to remove any encroachment,” said Vijayawada Municipal Corporation Superintendent Engineer (works) B. Narasimha Murthy.
He added that there are no plan as of now to lay footpaths beyond Benz Circle on the Bandar Road because National Highways Authority of India has undertaken the construction of a drain and road extension. He pointed out that the corporation has also taken up the task of improving these footpaths by laying a granite flooring.
But, there have been complaints from the public that the granite makes the footpath slippery in the rainy season. Taxpayers’ Association secretary M.V. Anjaneyulu said: “The purpose of a footpath is to make walking safer for pedestrians. The road belongs to them as much as it belongs to vehicle users. The corporation, instead of focussing on the beautification part, should work towards constructing footpaths in Governorpeta, Road Number 5, Loyola College area and Bhavanipuram Road among others.”
Political economist Parakala Prabhakar has described the exit poll results as “fudged figures”, saying that those would benefit the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) only. “False predictions were given with the sole objective of helping the NDA in rigging during the counting,” alleged Mr. Prabhakar, after releasing a book titled ‘Avineeti Chakravarthi Narendra Modi’ penned by former Minister Vadde Shobanadreeswara Rao, here, on June 2 (Sunday).